Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
He walks back up the stairs and sets my feet back on the floor. “You’ve got ten minutes.”
The Crush’s team plane has the team logo on each side. The logo is a scowling Viking-looking man making a tight fist. I guess he’s supposed to be crushing something.
I’ve never been on this plane, but I’ve been on other team planes with my dad. When I was a teenager, I jumped at the chance to go anywhere and do anything with him. I didn’t get to see him much because of his work schedule, but during his offseason, he always prioritized time with me and Audra, including us in vacations with him and Angieand their two kids, and also taking each of us on a trip for alone time with him.
The Crush’s plane is a lot like the others. There are fewer seats, and each one is wide and upholstered in leather. Some of the seats recline into beds, and there are tables and chairs where players can eat or play card games.
I managed to get a quick shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, and throw a few things into a bag. We rode to the airport in silence, because I’m still in a mood over being forced into this.
“Hey.” The team trainer, Melina, gives me a little wave as I’m stuffing my bag into an overhead compartment at the front of the plane, where the coaches and staff sit.
“Hey,” I say softly.
I slide into a window seat in an unoccupied row, playing a game on my phone to avoid having to look at or talk to anyone. It’s not that I dislike anyone on the team—other than Lucien after last night—but my heart is racing from having my routine upended, and I need to decompress.
It’s not even ten minutes before the plane’s doors are being closed to prepare for the flight. My dad stands in the aisle of my row, the players going silent.
“I hope everyone got good sleep last night, because this one’s going to be a grind,” he says. “Patton’s officially on the IR. I want everyone watching their film on this flight. If I catch anyone so much as glancing at social media or pictures of your girlfriend, you’ll have my foot so far up your ass you’ll be choking on my shoelaces. No fucking around. We need to be laser focused on tonight’s game.”
There’s a low rumble of players saying, “Yes, Coach.”
“Also, my daughter Talia is joining us on this trip.” He looks over at me. “Stand up and say hi.”
Fuck. I shoot him a side-eye glare as I stand, turn, give a weak smile and a one-second wave, and then sit back down.
“She’ll be helping out the coaching staff for a while, and I expect everyone to treat her with the same respect you’d give me. She isn’t a team employee, but the rules are simple: be nice to her, but don’t touch her. Ever.”
I bury my face in my hands, mortified. He’s acting like I’m a sixteen-year-old virgin.
The “Yes, Coach,” refrain is louder this time. I can only imagine how many looks Lucien is getting right now.
He sits down next to me, but I refuse to look at him, focusing on the view of endless runways outside my window instead.
Anytime I or one of my sisters are around one of Dad’s teams, it’s always been this way. I’m sure it stems, at least in part, from my mom cheating and leaving him for another hockey player.
I didn’t know what was going on when it all happened, because I was so young. Now, though, I see how hard that must’ve been for him. Cheating is the reason I haven’t talked to my mom in five months, and the reason things are tense between Dad and Audra.
When Kyle told me he’s in love with my sister, Mom took Audra’s side, but Dad took mine. And that meant a lot. He could’ve stayed neutral. Said he loved us equally and we needed to work it out on our own.
He didn’t, though. He said she was wrong and he was disappointed in her and wanted nothing to do with Kyle. That meant a lot to me. Not because I’m vindictive, but because it’s validation that I didn’t deserve what they did to me behind my back.
My dad’s been through it twice. I was burned badly enough the first time, though. I’ll never expose myself to that kind of heartbreak again.
Chapter Four
Lucien
* * *
Once again, Talia Turner is glaring at me. But this time it’s in the Tampa visiting team training room, where I’m waiting for someone to help me stretch.
“Don’t give birth, Beaumont,” she says, exasperated. “This is what Melina told me to do.”
“Go tell her to find someone else. You’re not touching me.”
She shakes her head. “I’ve done this many times. It’ll be me touching you, and it’s fine. Now get on your back. Apparently your routine is long, and I’m not missing lunch just because you’re a pussy.”